Developing an advocacy agenda for increasing access to opioid substitution therapy as part of comprehensive services for people who use drugs in South Africa

Abstract

Opioid use disorders, including heroin use disorders, account for 70% of the global burden of drug-related disease and disproportionately affect people who have unmet social, emotional, economic, health and other needs. Heroin is widely available in South Africa (SA) and there is an upward trend in numbers of people using heroin who access drug use treatment facilities registered with the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use. In addition, there is increasing concern around the link between injecting heroin use, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV and the impact this could have on SA communities and the healthcare system.